Following the trials and tribulations of an Eastern Pennsylvania fly fisherman

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Day Out With The Cuzo

Want to Wrestle?

I do not get to fish with my cousin much anymore. He is off at college in Williamsport, trying to pick up chicks and drinking beer. I am off at college down the street from my house, trying to convince the wife, that there is no way I would even think about picking up chicks at college. So, when he comes home for the holidays, we make a point to get out and fish. The picture to the left is not from today, it is from the first day of trout season. I had to include it in this post, because I love making fun of him and his dirty upper lip. What the hell is that thing? Freakin Nacho Libre holding a mutant Japanese radiation trout. Anyways, with all the local streams still blown out, our only option was to head back to the Little Lehigh. I said this in my last post, but I really do not like the LL. I tend to enjoy streams where the wild brown population is a little larger. If you do not know about this stream, it has a hatchery on its banks. Guess what happens when we get a good flood? Yep, stockies galore. Now, my cousin on the other hand, he just likes catching fish.

Nick Getting Ready

We planned on arriving at the stream around noon. Figured the fishing would pick up when the water begins to warm. One problem, I talked to Mike from Dub The Thorax, the night before, and he said he would be showing up at the stream around 8:30. Well, I did not want to miss the chance to out fish him. Once we arrived, we greeted Dub, and split up to find fish. Nick and I shot down stream and Mike went upstream to the kiddie pool. Things started really slow, as I expected. The cold air and water temperatures had the trout hugging the bottom of the stream. Not interested in the junk we were flinging.

UUUUUGGGGLLY

If you get a chance at fishing this stream, make sure you take some time and fish downstream of the bridge at the Heritage section. I wanted to take pictures, But I did not want Nick to think I was some kind of paparazzi. We did not pick anything up down there, but the water just looks real fishy. Lots of good chutes and riffles. Damn, wish I took some pictures, sorry guys. We met back up with Mike and he did not have much luck either. We began working back upstream. I finally was able to pick this ugly bastard up on a PT. Dubbed picked up two on his worm thing, that he just had a naming contest for. I missed a couple and Mike called it a day. Think it was about 11 when he decided to go home and get bugged by his wife. He made a mistake. I jumped up to the next chute. with a large tree down in it. It forms a really nice riffle and some slack water. Looks like this.

The first cast I would tell you to make at this set up, is toss at the seam of the slack and riffle, right at the point of the downed tree.

I did just that, and this 16 inch rainbow gave me a good fight. A stockie, but not as ugly as the first one. This hole produced another six bows for me. I took pictures of all of them, but how many stupid stocked rainbows with light pink micro eggs in their mouths do you want to look at? I lost my egg and decided to throw on the infamous pink worm. First cast and I was pleasantly surprised with this little brown. Wild? Stocked? I dunno, but it was something different and pretty.

Tired of beating that little riffle to a pulp, I jumped up above the tree and began to annihilate bows. Ipw's and light pink micro eggs were on fire. I could not toss in my line without a fish attacking it. My cousin, who was upstream began working back down. He sat on the other side of the stream and began to have the same luck. I probably pulled 7 or 8 bows from there, and missed a bunch more. One of those bows was on the rubber legged PT, I tied up the other day. I would put up a tutorial on it, but it is just a pheasant tail with rubber leggs. Not very hard to tie. I like to use it as my anchor fly.

So, from about 11 till 2:30 it was just ridiculous fishing. Only way it could be better, would be for it to be up on top, and wild fish. The fishing seemed to shut down around 2:30 and even though my cousin picked up one or two more on the way out. Staying till 4 was not worth it. O BTW, do you remember what time planned on showing up there? Yea, that is right. Right when the fishing became good. Yea well, it was a nice morning to be on the stream. Just wish the jogger hatch was a little better.

To be clear, I brought my buddy up to the kiddie pool for a total of 10 MINUTES because he was still new to fly fishing. Get your facts straight! And nice fish, shame I couldnt hang longer. My head was killing me.

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